Grow Up in Spiritual Life & Godliness, Pt.2
2Peter.1:3-11
Introduction:
- Remember that Human baby, conceived it immediately… grows!
- They’re born, cute, cuddly, adorable until they become hungry!
- Every Babe makes their hunger for food known, tiny little lungs & throat and voice can produce blood-curdling, ear-piercing, shrieks that may be interpreted as Feed Me!!… why?
- So that they may: grow…
- The Reality is that Generally Speaking, Except for God,
- If we are Alive, we’re Growing!! Dbl-Check if your alive!
- When there’s No Growth, it’s because there’s no Genuine Life
- The text open before us today, addresses this problem
- Peter, the Lord’s servant-apostle writes to remind us all of God’s Grace to transform us to live obed’t, mature, godly lives…
- Knowing the Grace of God, & the God of Grace, we’re to
- Make Every Effort to build, onto our faith with Godly Christian Qualities
- So, the problem we all have, which God seeks to resolve is: Danger of Spiritual Complacency – a Failure to Grow –
- Real Genuine Spiritual Life cannot stay stagnant & ungrowing
- It’s a heartbreaking tragedy to see: baby: not growing-develop
- It’s a greater tragedy to see men-women in church not growing.
- Growth in maturity & godliness, Glorifies God by displaying to those inside & outside: church, the wonder of God’s Grace to transform us from ungodly sinners to godly, Christ-like saints
- So, Peter, inspired by the H.Spirit, Instructs and commands us to Grow in Spiritual Life and Godliness
Last week we saw: God Has Given Us All Things for Life & Godliness.
1) He has given us the Means to Life & Godliness – How?
- “through the knowledge of the One who has called us”
2) God has given us the Ultimate Vision of Life & Godliness – Where?
- In Christ! “He called us by His own glory and excellence…”
- We were called “by” hearing the message and seeing Christ’s own glory and excellence, displayed by the H.Spirit in Scripture
3) God has given us the Hope of Life & Godliness
- “through His precious and very great promises”
- God has already given us fulfilment of some Promises and….
- God will Also give us fulfilment of further future promises
- But you know what….
- That’s not his main point! Peter’s main point is Vss. 5-11
- Vss 3-4, are the grounds reason for His Command in Vss.5-11
So the Message for Us, for Today is this:
God Commands Us to Grow-Up In Life and Godliness
- Let’s Read again: 2 Peter 1:5–9
The Logic of the Peter’s argument works like this:
- Remembering: that Vss.3-4 were the Grounds 4 the command:
- Vs.5, begins w/ Attitude-Approach: Make every effort
- Peter is admonishing us to whole-hearted, devotion to it
- vs.5-7 continues w/ Imperative Command: to Supply-Add to our
Faith, all those further 6 Christian Virtues/Qualities
- Vs. 8 Then gives us an Explanation for why we must to Obey
- An Effective, Fruitful Life in the Knowledge of Christ
- 9 gives us a Warning of the Danger of failing to Obey
- It indicates a Blindness, a Forgetfulness of Forgiveness
So Let’s Consider How to Obey God’s Command to Grow:
- I can’t speak for you, but I want my Christian Life to be Lived with Effective, Fruitful, God-honouring and God-Glorifying Knowledge of Jesus Christ as Saviour.
- I want the Knowledge of Christ to have a profound impact on my life – It must have a massive impact, changing me, shaping nme into Christ’s Image….
To Give Us An Outline:
- Growing in Life & Godlin. is Based on God’s Provision (last week)
- Growing in Life & Godliness Requires Wholehearted Devotion
- Growing in Life & Godliness Requires Obedience
- Growing in Life & Godliness Results in Effectiveness and Fruitfulness
One: Growing in Life & Godliness Requires Wholehearted Devotion
- Peter says that we are to supply All diligence… to make every effort, to work hard as, to add to our faith those virtues
- This is not a half-hearted effort
- Remember the early church in Acts 2:42, “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” – It was an unwavering persistence – a diligence, like: drowning man gasping for breath
- They devoted themselves: Prayer, Teaching, F-ship, Communion
- Paul communicates the same idea in Romans 12:8 & 11, he speaks of “the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; – that word for zeal, the same word here for diligence, every effort, In vs. Rom.12:11 “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
- This is a command to be obeyed in earnest, wholehearted zeal…
- Peter says , supplying all diligence: Out of Love for God, Out of desire to grow – like a baby crying for food – zealously
- Brother and Sister in Christ, what is our, yours and my, attitude & approach to growing up in Christ?
- Are we Applying all diligence, every effort??
- Do we have a zeal to grow in the Lord – Plead for God to show U what’s holding U back; clear the hindrances; Pursue Godliness
- The Athlete goes to the gym and applying all diligence, lifts the weights, runs the track, avoids the carbs, packs on muscle, etc
- To win the game, get the trophy, rec’v Gold Medal
- The Student, applying all diligence, goes to the library, finds resources, studies texts, works thru the exercises, attends the labs, does the homework, and submits the papers…. Why?
- To achieve a degree…
- The Farmer supplying all diligence, ploughs the ground, spreads the seed, adds the fertilizer, pulls the weeds and waters the crops while simultaneously praying for sunshine
- To grow a crop to feed his family or sell @ the market
- Each of those accomplishments are brief and fading…
- But!! Bros & Sis’ what we’re to make every effort for,
- is Eternal & Lasting, it results in Praise to God, and a Deeper, Sweeter, Intimacy in our relationship with Christ…
- Brothers and Sisters we are to make, not just some effort, but Every Effort to grow in our Sp. Life and Godliness!
Can I challenge us all:
- If each of us were to take the same level of effort we’re using to grow in Life & Godliness….
- And applied it to: current employment: current studies…
- If I worked as hard at my job as I did my pursuit of Godliness
- would I still be employed tomorrow morning?
- Supply All Diligence, Brothers and Sisters!
- Diligence in Reading-studying the word – like a newborn baby
- Diligence in Prayer for ourselves & each other
- Diligence in Pursuing Godliness – Paul says: 6:11 Pursue it!
- Diligence in Putting to death the deeds of our sinful flesh
- Diligence to Grow up in spiritual life & godliness
- Brothers and sisters, our Attitude Determines everything else!
- May God rebuke your heart, as much as He’s rebuking mine….
Secondly: Growing in Life & Godliness Requires Obedience
- “Supply, Add, Supplement your faith” is command to be obeyed,
- It Req. Submission to God, to bend our will to conform to His
- It begins with Faith
- Here Peter is subtly connecting to His previous words
- Faith is believing-trusting in God: able to Keep Promises
- Faith comes first, it is Root of all other Christian Virtues, as Love is the Crown of all Christ. Virtues
- Without Faith in God, not only will these other Christ’n virtues achieve nothing, but trying to add these qualities, to our lives, w/o first trusting and believing in God, will drag us down into the world of the Pharisees who attempted to achieve godliness by works alone – And that is Impossible and Damnable!
- It must begin w/ Faith – Trust in God for Salvation & Life
So, How Are we to Obey this command?
- Notice in the case of the athlete, student and farmer, they all had someone to show them how it’s done
- The athlete trains with a coach,
- The student studies under tutors & teachers,
- The farmer worked alongside father, grandfather, brothers and uncles, learning how to farm the land
We’re Disciples of Christ, our Lord, Master, Teacher; We look to Him!
- Just as we’ve received everything to do with Life & Godliness thru the knowledge of Christ, so we add these Christian virtues by looking to Christ as our teacher and example-setter
1) 1Peter 2:23 Christ is the perfect example of Faith
- He is the Bible’s greatest display of faith in action,
- He submitted Himself to His Father’s will, to die on the cross,
- He trusted His Father to raise Him again – That’s Faith!
2) Phil.4:8, Christ is perfect example of Virtue or Moral Excellence –
- Consider, Examine Christ’s Life-Words to know what Virtue is
- Study Proverbs & Ecclesiastes to know Virtue-Moral Excellence
- Christ did-said everything from a state of moral excellence
- Phil.4:8, Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things –
- Christ is the example & epitome of all those things
- We as His disciples add to our Faith the Virtue we see in the Life, The Words, The reactions of Christ
3) Colossians 2:3, Christ is: Treasure Chest of Wisdom & Knowledge
- Paul declares that “in Christ are hidden all the treasure of wisdom and knowledge”
- So, How do We gain intellectual, spiritual knowledge?
- By digging into Scriptures-Bible which speaks of Christ
- And, How do we gain experiential knowledge, by applying what we read-learn from Script. into our daily walk w/ Christ
- Head Know. becomes Practical-Experiential, as we put what we read & learn to use, in following Christ
- Learning Trig was so much easier, when I used it, as a carpenter to set-out and cut the rafters on complex roof shapes (Head knowl. became Practical knowl.)
- Knowing Him, & as Rom.12:1-2, says: Daily Renewing our Minds in Scripture, equips us to put scripture into practice thru-out life
4) John.18:1-12 Christ is the perfect example of Self-control,
- I mentioned last Sunday: Jesus in garden, submitting Himself…
- He, who w/o twitching a single nerve could’ve annihilated world
- He, the All-Powerful, All-Knowing, Absolutely Holy & Just God…
- He exercised self-control to allow them to bind His Hands…
- He submitted to being led away to suffer and die –
- He Controlled His Righteous Indignation…. Until a later time
- Peter, inspired by the H.Spirit commands us to add onto our Faith, with Virtue, Knowledge, and Self-Control
5) Heb.12:2, Christ is Perfect Example of Steadfastness – Endurance,
- Christ patiently endured the faithlessness of: people of Israel
- Christ patiently endured the abuse & disrespect of Pharisee.
- Christ patiently endured the slowness of Disciples to learn
- Christ is still patiently enduring our slowness to learn-grow
- Christ patiently endured: horrific Agony of His soul on Cross
- He is the Perfect example for us to look to and learn from….
Listen!
- Peter commands us to add onto our Faith these Christ’n Qual.
- The only way we will ever know what they truly are, is when we see them displayed perfectly in the Person of Christ
- We have been called by the vision of Christ’s Glory and excellence: to Repent of sin, Believe in Him, and Follow Him –
- to live, as He did! – He is God, in Sinless flesh & blood;
- We’re saved-by-grace-sinners, who’re Indwelt by God’s Spirit
- Christ is both the Perfect Example of these Qualities and the Provider of the Power we need to Add them to our Lives.
- We endure, remain steadfast, persevere, by see-imitating Him
6) Christ is the Perfect example of Brotherly Affection, John.13:1-15
- Christ, in brotherly Love washed Hius Disciples feet
7) Christ is the Perfect example of Love, John.3:16, Romans.5:8
- Christ loved, by Sacrificing His, to save us fr. God’s Wrath
But! Listen! Don’t let the way I said that confuse you!
- The whole point here is Not merely to See Christ, But, Its For Us, to See the Example of Christ, and with All Diligence, to make every effort, in the Power of the Indwelling Holy Spirit, to Imitate Christ’s Perfect Example
We are Disciples of Christ, not Merely Observers of Christ! {pause}
- Disciples live under the Discipline & Training of their Master
- If, Steve E. showed up to his footy training to watch the coaches: running field, Kicking, Handballing, Taking mark, etc…
- while all the players sat on side, drinking beer, eating pies and commenting on the abilities of the coaches….
- Kinda like all the spectators in the crowd!
- The game wouldn’t be much fun, with little likelihood of winning
To break it down:
- We Read the Command to add virtue, knowledge, steadfastness
- We Look to Christ as the example of Moral Excellence
- We Plead in Prayer for the Strength to live w. Moral excellence
- We go out, w/ Determination, to be morally excellent as Christ!
BTW, One Really Important pt. here
- Growth: not Build. block style, 1 block add. to another
- Growth in Life & Godliness is far more like Oak Tree Style
- As the Oak tree is putting down the roots, the seedling pops up
- As the trunk begins to grow, the branches begin to spread
- As the branches begin to grow, the leaves begin to unfold
- As the leaves begin to multiply the acorn begins to appear… so?
- As we begin to grow in faith, we then begin to add virtue
- As we begin to add virtue, we then begin to add knowledge, etc.
- No One part of my Spiritual; Life & Life of Godliness is completed before the remainder is added on!
- Which brings me to my final main point
Thirdly, Briefly, Growing in Life & Godliness Results in Effectiveness and Fruitfulness in the Knowledge of Christ.
- Notice vs. 8, For these qualities, being yours and increasing, make you not ineffective and not unfruitful in the knowledge of Christ – Paraphrase.
- Knowing Christ, is not like some stuff we learned in high school
- Knowing Shakespeare’s Sonnets… nice… kinda useless!
- Knowing Christ must have a profound impact on our lives!!
- Coming to faith in Christ but never growing up, is a tragedy!
- Growing-Up in Life & Godliness is like being married:
- on day 1, you’re in “love”, by year 27 (53-Barbers),
- you are so much more in love, in sync, like each other…
- We get that way by growing in our relationships with Christ
- Peter says if we have them and we are increasing in them, like a little oak tree that has roots, trunk, branches, leaves, acorns and is still growing – increasing, all at the same time, then we will not be ineffective in our knowledge of Christ
- Notice: the completion of the circle
- We have received all things pertaining to Life-Godliness,
- thru the knowledge of Christ, the One who called us
- We grow in Sp. Life-Godliness,
- Thru: Eg. of Christ & Power of His Indwell. Spirit
- The Result is Effectiveness & Fruitfulness in Know. of Christ
- Being Effective, means that we will achieve the desired results
- We will become Like Christ, to the glory of God the Father…
- We will become Faithful Representations of Christ to our world
- We will become Faithful Witnesses to Christ –
- even if nobody believes – faithfulness in witness, is true to Christ & Truth whether anyone believes or not.
- John 15:4–6, Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
- Philippians 3:7–11, But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Benediction: Ephesians 3:20–21
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
